diff --git a/integration-cli/docker_cli_network_unix_test.go b/integration-cli/docker_cli_network_unix_test.go
index 829ad95d6a..97f204ab47 100644
--- a/integration-cli/docker_cli_network_unix_test.go
+++ b/integration-cli/docker_cli_network_unix_test.go
@@ -1655,16 +1655,17 @@ func (s *DockerSuite) TestDockerNetworkInternalMode(c *check.C) {
 	c.Assert(err, check.IsNil)
 }
 
-// Test for special characters in network names. only [a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9_.-] are
-// valid characters
+// Test for #21401
 func (s *DockerNetworkSuite) TestDockerNetworkCreateDeleteSpecialCharacters(c *check.C) {
-	_, _, err := dockerCmdWithError("network", "create", "test@#$")
-	c.Assert(err, check.NotNil)
+	dockerCmd(c, "network", "create", "test@#$")
+	assertNwIsAvailable(c, "test@#$")
+	dockerCmd(c, "network", "rm", "test@#$")
+	assertNwNotAvailable(c, "test@#$")
 
-	dockerCmd(c, "network", "create", "test-1_0.net")
-	assertNwIsAvailable(c, "test-1_0.net")
-	dockerCmd(c, "network", "rm", "test-1_0.net")
-	assertNwNotAvailable(c, "test-1_0.net")
+	dockerCmd(c, "network", "create", "kiwl$%^")
+	assertNwIsAvailable(c, "kiwl$%^")
+	dockerCmd(c, "network", "rm", "kiwl$%^")
+	assertNwNotAvailable(c, "kiwl$%^")
 }
 
 func (s *DockerDaemonSuite) TestDaemonRestartRestoreBridgeNetwork(t *check.C) {